Andrannar

The Ruins by the Lake

The party investigates an ancient Dalaran ruin

31

AUG/13

(August 23rd Game Night)

The party left Hawkstone in search of the wizard Brithian, whose last known whereabouts were an ancient Dalaran wizard’s ruined home. Throughout the journey, they periodically get the sensation they were being followed. Other than a glimpse of glowing red eyes in the night, they saw no signs of pursuit.

After a few uneventful days, the party made it to the investigation site. It appeared to have once been a manor house, with perhaps a tower, but some destructive force in its past seemed to have destroyed the upper levels of the buildings. Only the ground floor structures remained even partially intact. A closer bit of further investigation revealed the remnants of Brithian‘s campsite, an old campfire, collapsed tents, and scattered supplies. Among the wreckage they discovered the decayed, putrified remains of two bodies, both wearing the tattered garb of students of the Magistus Arcantheum, as well as journals the wizards’ presumably kept. Within one of the journals, they found the preserved fragment of an old letter, thought to have been penned by one of the last inhabitants of the ancient building.

The party moved to examine the ruins, finding signs of the academy wizards’ excavations. They soon found a stair leading downward, to a set of once ornate, now worn, double doors. After checking for traps both magical and mundane, they found the doors safe, and opened them.

The doors opened onto a long hallway, that flared with magical energy and illuminated the passage. Illusionary murals depicting beautiful landscapes shimmered onto the walls. One simple door was set in the middle of either wall, and at the far end, stood another set of double doors. At the base of the far double doors, they could make out the remains of a desiccated corpse, clad in moldering robes. As the party moved along the passage, the walls pulsed with varying eldritch power, striking the party and causing great damage. Much to their dismay, the party soon discovered that various tiles along the floor were also trapped, discharging tremendous electrical shocks that stunned their victims.

Seemingly in response to the trap activations, a ghostly mist rose from the withered body. It coalesced into a spectral form that invoked magical incantations, flinging spells that caused great harm to the party. It took a great deal of time and effort for the party to overcome the traps, but they eventually defeated the guardian and wards. After searching the corpse, they found an old wardstone that was able to turn off the traps with only a thought. After taking a moment to rest and gather their strength, they opened the double doors, intent on seeing what the traps were protecting.

In the room beyond, they found a large magical hemisphere, that glowed a pale blue. Within the magical constraint, they could make out the figure of a humanoid shaped being trapped within. Also in the room were several more bodies in various states of decomposition. Near the base of the magical ward, they saw a cloaked and hooded figure kneeling, examining the barrier closely.

The hooded figure turned, revealing itself to be Marthell, Lyris‘s former master. With a great deal of caution and suspicion, the party entered the room and talked to the older wizard. He claimed to have barely escaped the demons that attacked his tower, narrowly evading their pursuit ever since. Despite the wizard’s words, Sasha detected the faintest evidence of a nearby demonic presence. Guessing that Marthell was in fact an incubus demon imposter, she ordered Marcus to attack. Cursing Lyris’s companions, Marthell enacted his magical defenses and began channeling his arcane powers to respond in kind.